Worth a read, text below from WARC.The best in communications success was celebrated in London this week at the 2011 IPA Effectiveness Awards.
Visit warc.com/IPA2011 to browse all 28 entries – including the Grand Prix, four Golds, five Silvers and six Bronzes.Operation Christmas, the Colombian Ministry of Defence and Lowe SSP3’s Campaign that persuaded 331 members of the FARC guerilla group to demobilise won the Grand Prix – just weeks after taking top honours at the Jay Chiat and APG awards.Other winners included:

Depaul (Gold): An app added over 1000 people to the charity’s database.

Ovaltine (Gold): TV sponsorship moved the drink from bedtime to daytime.

Truly worth a read is the article ”Welcome to the age of micro-planning” which you can find on the blog Adliterate. Don’t forget to read the comments which has a couple of nuggets in them. The blog Adliterate is runned by Richard Huntington, Director of Strategy at Saatchi & Saatchi.

Here is a sample from the article:

That said I think there was a clear difference in this year’s papers and presentations. A lot less brand planning (though there are some splendid examples) and a lot more micro-planning. I have no problem with the downstream approach to planning, it has always represented proof that the planner is more than a brief writing machine and is capable of and welcome to bring their skills to bare on the more executional facets of a campaign. This is particularly the case when real time planning is required as a campaign unfolds and evolves.That said it seems a shame to me if planners are walking away from, or unable to deliver, ‘upstream’ brand planning. Planning that either repositions a brand in the marketplace (such as Matt Boffey’s Lurpak work or Craig Mawdsley’s Sainsbury’s thinking which both won in 2007) or shapes a communications campaign with a clever reframing of the problem or sharp proposition (think Richard Storey’s Met Police campaign or Stuart Smith’s Positive Hate thinking for Honda).So why are we seeing a lot less brand planning and a lot more micro planning? Indeed this year’s particular theme was the selection and prioritisation of celebrities according to their social media reach. Worthwhile but not really award winning. Personally I don’t think it’s the quality of our planners, I rather suspect it is the quality or nature of the briefs that we receive and in particular the pitch briefs that we get.

A micro trend can ignite a macro trend, which is the topic for this article. By now, most of us are aware of theories regarding tipping points, early adopters and chasms. What I am going to bring up is how sometimes a big latent trend can ignite through a fad.
My observations are from Sweden. Lately there has been a huge hipster culture micro trend popping up in terms of fixed gear bicycles. By now it is fading away already. It has been with us since 2009 more or less.
Now instead we have a massive classic sport cycle trend in general. It was like a latent lust for bicycles did exist. But it needed a spark to get going. That spark came from hipsters on a retro trip.
The funny side of it is that fixed gear is not just a bike; it’s an attitude and a life style. Which means the identity factor of fixed gear culture is strong. But fixed gear people and normal sport cyclists ride for different reasons.
And even though they do have understanding for each other when it comes to enjoying a bike ride, I believe they have very different views of what is cool.

Sport Cyclist. Photo by Ed Yourdon

But it doesn’t matter. The fixed gear group made sport biking cool again. So the people with 21 gears, full athlete suit and desire to compete against anyone who dare being in the way took their chance.

This is something we often see with new trends. Old latent trends gets a spark by a group of cool trend setters doing their own thing with it. But the mass will interpret it as now it’s cool to enter… (when trend setters actually seek authenticity by turning to something old and proven). Then, when something jumps from early adopters to early mainstream, it becomes uncool. When you hear someone say – I really feel like a hipster riding a fixie! Then you know the cool factor is dead in the head of the originators, but in the minds of early majority it will take years before they realize that.
By then it has already hit the masses, which in itself holds enough momentum to grow yet further. The early adopters will be one the move to the next thing. Reason? Identity and search of meaning.
So what could you do? Well, if you are into a category that has long since fell asleep. Look for something true in its origin and build on that. You can’t just introduce the old stuff like its new. You will need to innovate on it. This is what we call soft innovation, I think it was Seth Godin who coined the expression.
I figure latent trend spotting is a true gold mine. But, like always, you need to understand the true value of your target group related to your business. You can’t ask questions or make surveys to find out. So how do you do? Ethnographic market research, worth every penny if you can afford it.
Here are a couple (hypothetic) latent trends out of my head:

Windsurfing (just imagine how many old windsurfing boards lay around peoples houses without being used)

Golf (same reason as windsurfing)

Boot Cut jeans (yeah, I hate them too at the moment)

Special kinds of cell phones with few functions just like in the old days. But this time carefully chosen.

Old computer games, like Commodore 64.

A new beverage ritual. Like beer mixed with champagne.

What do you think? It needs something that is true, a behavior, which the majority could easily adopt, something new or distinct that is cool.

The shortlist for Account Planning Group (APG) Creative Strategy Awards has been released. It does require login but we still like to provide you with the link so you can see the list and read the summaries.How fresh strategic thinking can lead to creative and effective work. The APG is the foremost and longest-established organisation representing the interests of account planners and other communications strategists.
We have tried to find the appropriate video for each campaign below. But if we happened to connect the wrong ad to the awarded campaign, please let us know.

You’ll find a full listing here, and we’ll be adding many more over the coming weeks.

On the Warc Blog

Our new blog is the place on warc.com for keeping up with the latest news, views and content and, of course, where you can post your own thoughts on what you find. Recent posts include:

Dan Calladine on the potential of the Apple iPad

Simon Law pondering the phenomenon of Super Bowl advertising

Warc News Editor Stephen Whiteside’s assessment of UK adspend in 2010

You’ll find all the latest posts at www.warc.com/blogs.
And finally, one last reminder that our Measuring Advertising Performance 2010 conference takes place in London on March 10th.
If you’re not a subscriber to Warc and would like to profit from ongoing access to a huge range of ideas and evidence on all aspects of marketing, media and communications, simply email us at enquiries@warc.com to arrange a trial.
Kind regards
James Aitchison
Warc

Follow an interesting series from Redscout SPUR about planning future, identity crisis for planners and possibilites as well as provocations. PSFK publish the story from Redscout in a series of videos for the month to come. Keep an eye out for new videomaterial as we will keep posting them here too.